Date: Fri 05-Feb-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

space-needs-Brimmer

Full Text:

Space Needs Panel Favors Town Hall Expansion

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Newtown's seat of town government will remain on Main Street in the shadow of

the flagpole, if the town's municipal space needs committee gets its way.

On Wednesday, the committee recommended that a 23,500-square-foot addition be

constructed on the back of Edmond Town Hall.

The plan would consolidate all town offices, including the Board of Education,

on Main Street. Town Hall South would be renovated for the police department

and a new building for the Hook & Ladder Fire Company would be built somewhere

in the center of town. The plan also calls for the Parks & Recreation

Department to be moved to the middle school, which is expected to have added

space with the Board of Education offices moving out.

The estimated cost of the entire project is $18.3 million.

The committee voted unanimously in favor of the concept, however, an addition

at town hall would be contingent upon resolving parking issues. Currently,

there are not enough spaces to accommodate the busy building, especially

during daytime movie matinees. There is a shortfall of about 80 spaces.

Some members have recommended the town put up a parking deck in the lower lot

behind the building. Borough regulations do not allow parking garages, but a

variance or regulation change could clear that obstacle, town officials said.

Others suggested paving over a town-owned wetlands area in the rear of the

building. The wetlands are reportedly of poor quality. A consultant may be

hired to take a closer look.

The space needs committee's original plan was to recommend two scenarios to

the Board of Selectmen. However, the panel opted to recommend the town hall

addition as its top choice and a new government facility as its fall back

choice. Plan B would have cost more than $21 million.

"For me, cost was the big issue because there was a $3 million difference

between the two plans," committee chairman Bill Brimmer explained. "Also, from

what people have been telling me, they favor keeping town offices on Main

Street. I think both plans could work. It was a tough decision."

The actual addition to Edmond Town Hall is estimated to cost $10.6 million.

The town would need to spend an additional $3.9 million to renovate the

existing structure and bring it up to code. The estimated cost for a new

firehouse is $3.1 million (the existing structure would be demolished) and

another $4.1 million to renovate Town Hall South for police.

As committee member David Vallerie pointed out, a new facility would have

skyrocketed operating costs, not to mention the cost for acquiring a piece of

land.

Carole Ross agreed, adding that any recommendation to move out of Edmond Town

Hall would get the committee "tarred and feathered."

Marie Sturdevant of the Town Hall Board of Managers believes Mary Hawley would

be pleased with the recommendation.

"She'd be thrilled to have everything on Main Street and the town community in

one place. That was her intent from the beginning," she said.

There are opponents to the expansion of Edmond Town Hall who believe it is

time to move away from Main Street, citing a lack of parking and traffic

congestion. Legislative Council member Melissa Pilchard wondered aloud: where

will we put out town employees during the construction phase? A temporary move

would be costly, Mrs Pilchard argues, and she notes that an addition to Edmond

Town Hall will force the town to begin each project simultaneously, putting

added burden on the taxpayers.

Mr Brimmer acknowledged that constructing a new facility might have been

easier, but also more costly.

"The way I look at it, town offices were in need of general refurbishment and

we keep town offices in center of town where they have been since 1930," he

said.

The space needs committee is scheduled to meet again in two weeks to discuss

costs for a parking deck and architectural fees.

The recommendation now goes to the Board of Selectmen for consideration. It

may eventually make its way to a town meeting or referendum.

The municipal space committee was formed more than a year ago to study the

future of Newtown's building space. It took over for the previous space needs

committee which, under former first selectman Bob Cascella, had recommended

that Edmond Town Hall continue to be used as a town government facility.

Firehouse

With a plan now in place to demolish the faulty Hook & Ladder building behind

Edmond Town Hall, the town must now find a new home for the volunteer fire

company.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal has announced that the Newtown Volunteer

Ambulance Corps is considering a move to the old firehouse on the campus of

Fairfield Hills. If so, the move would open up the corps' existing facility

for Hook & Ladder.

It is definitely a viable site, according to Hook & Ladder fire chief Dave

Ober. In fact, the building at 79 Main Street is actually more centralized to

the fire company's district.

"The closer to the center of town the better," he said.

Hook & Ladder has also looked at the property at the corner of Main Street and

Route 302 currently for sale by Newtown Bee Publisher R. Scudder Smith. The

Trinity Church property along Church Hill Road (behind the Big Y) is also an

option, Chief Ober said.